Close South Africa 414 for 2 (Kirsten 154*, Kallis 107*) lead Bangladesh 215 by 199 runs
Scorecard

Bangladesh may have won the first session of this match, but since then it's been all South Africa. The session score now stands at 5-1, and another crushing victory is on the cards - unless Ranjan Madugalle, the referee, steps in to save the battle-scarred Bangladeshis from further punishment.

Gary Kirsten, with his second successive 150, and Jacques Kallis cashed in against an enthusiastic but innocuous bowling line-up. By stumps the Ks had put on 212, and rarely looked like being parted. It was Kirsten's 16th Test century, extending his national record, and Kallis's 10th.

The only wicket of the second day came from a run-out, and a peculiar one at that. Herschelle Gibbs, who completed his seventh Test century off the last ball before lunch, had advanced to 114 when he drove Manjurul Islam to Tapash Baisya at mid-off. Tapash's throw hit the stumps, but Gibbs looked safe: however, close examination of the video revealed that he had not grounded his bat until it was over the line, by which time the bails were dancing (202 for 2).

It was a careless ending to a carefree innings. Gibbs had previously had two close shaves: Manjurul had a confident lbw shout from his second ball of the day, and later Gibbs's second six off Sanwar Hossain's offspin only just plopped over the head of the fielder on the midwicket boundary.

Gibbs, who thumped 17 fours in addition to those two sixes, was most impressive when easing the ball through the covers. But arguably the shot of the day came when he leaned on a defensive stroke against 16-year-old Talha Jubair, and watched the ball scud away through mid-on for another four.

Bangladesh were unlucky not to have claimed one more scalp, though. Shortly before tea Kallis (36) got a finger or two of glove onto a widish ball from Sanwar, and Khaled Masud completed a regulation catch. But the umpire Russell Tiffin was unmoved, much to the fielders' consternation.

While Kallis was looking ominously solid at one end, batting outside his crease and pounding out precision cover-drives, Kirsten was entrenched at the other. At the start of this season Kirsten was out of form and out of the South African one-day side, but Bangladesh's friendly bowling attack has been the perfect remedy. He made 150 in the first Test at East London, and repeated the dose here, blossoming after tea, a session in which South Africa piled on 133. Kirsten milked the point area in characteristic style, while before lunch he even stepped out to Sanwar and clattered him over the long-on boundary for six.

Like Gibbs, Kirsten survived an adjacent leg-before appeal early on, from the legspinner Alok Kapali, and also hung on when one from Alok kept low and threatened to torpedo him. Kirsten just stooped and shovelled the ball through midwicket for four. By the close Kirsten needed only 25 more runs to become the first South African to reach 6000 in Tests.

With the odd ball keeping low and a modicum of turn, it is hard to imagine how Bangladesh can avoid yet another defeat at Potchefstroom, Test cricket's 86th and newest venue. The bowlers operated throughout with the old ball, in an attempt to make the batsmen hit the softer missile. They accepted the invitation with the greatest of pleasure.

Bangladesh have still never bowled a side out for less than 373 in a Test (and that was against a virtual Sri Lankan 2nd XI, earlier this year). This is a willing young side, but they are floundering at international level - and the torture will continue tomorrow.

Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden.com.

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